


like my mirror years ago

by eat_crow



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29687937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eat_crow/pseuds/eat_crow
Summary: Merlin uses a transportation spell to take him to somewhere safe. The spell works.That is, unfortunately, a bad thing.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 96





	like my mirror years ago

**Author's Note:**

> so... this is an OLD au. like, mid-2020 old. it's longer in my drafts, like 2k or something, but i don't care for it past this and i just want to post it so i can get it out of my hair and have it stop staring at me. it's meant to be a really sad au (arthur realizing who merlin really is, his lies and his power and who he could have been if he just had the chance to grow and learn + merlin realizing arthur isn't the saintly figure he remembered and his ideals of him were skewed by the intense love he had for him) but ugh it wouldn't have a happy ending and i'm just not in the mood for grief-porn. so you get a cool chase scene instead
> 
> some backstory that's unnecessary to the drabble but a part of the au in my mind: this is 10 years post camlann. leon married guinevere and became king. they have a child together named galahad. merlin is court sorcerer. they time travel to a few months pre-season 5 where morgana has recently escaped from her imprisonment by what's-his-name, and everyone's under a huge amount of stress about it. merlin transports to the moment that he does because during season 5 and after camlann he latched on to that moment for comfort when things got nasty and it's the first thing he resonated with when asked to think of somewhere safe.
> 
> title from [from eden](https://youtu.be/O38FedIEUBg) by hozier

The ground pounds under their feet. Battle cries chase after their every step. Merlin's breath comes in racking, bone dry pants. He cries out and ducks his head as an arrow cracks into a tree just to his right.

"Now would be a  _ great _ time for that spell, Merlin!" Leon hollers, only a step behind. Merlin waves his hand behind them, and the trees shudder and their branches weave into a rock solid barrier.

"It's not done yet!" Merlin snaps back. He stumbles over a downward slope, kicking up dirt into his own face. "Half formed spells are dangerous, that's an absolute last resort!"

From their left, another mob of bandits rush at them, their swords drawn and their teeth bared. There's no possible way they could outrun them. They'll be overtaken in minutes.

"Oh, hell," Merlin says, and grabs Leon's hand in his own. Leon holds tightly enough for the bones in Merlin's hand to crush together. "Where to?"

"Somewhere  _ safe! _ "

Merlin huffs at the vagueness of his answer, but draws on his well of magic regardless. He takes an even breath and tries to visualize the safest place he can think of, of comfort, of ease, the place where calm settled on him like a blanket.

_ Somewhere safe. Somewhere safe. Safe. _

Bright gold wraps around them, blinding and thick. Then they're tripping over a stone floor. Mud and leaves are tracked in with them. The two men tumble and drop to their hands and knees. There's a clatter and splash from somewhere behind them.

Merlin gasps for air. He grabs onto the front of his own shirt and falls to his back as he coughs and wheezes. He hasn't run so hard in ages.

Then he pauses. He pats the floor. The  _ stone _ floor. It's a bit cold for late july, but he pushes it to the back of his mind. They're inside a building. They were in the valley of the fallen kings not thirty seconds ago. The only way they could have gotten here was if…

"It worked." Merlin sits up in one solid motion. He smacks Leon in the chest over and over in his excitement, ignoring Leon's pledges of hatred. "It worked! I did it! I--"

A sword presses to his neck. He shuts his mouth so quickly his teeth click together.

"Who the  _ hell _ are you?"

It's an all too familiar voice, even after just short of a decade. Without moving, Merlin looks up the blade, to the hand holding it, to the man in ownership of said hand.

Blond hair, tired blue eyes with dark circles digging underneath, full lips pressed into a thin, intimidating line, shoulders straight and rigid under an almost translucent white tunic.

Behind him, sitting at the fireplace and watching him with an expression reminiscent of a gaping fish, is himself, ten years too young.

"Yeah, you did it, alright," Leon says.

**Author's Note:**

> _Honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago  
>  Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword  
> Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know  
> I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door_
> 
> i don't intend to follow this up. if you like the concept and want to write it yourself, consider this an open invitation to do so! you don't have to ask. i would like if you said this work inspired you or tag me on tumblr so that i can read it, but u don't have to
> 
> i'm on tumblr @ [sterlingdylan](https://sterlingdylan.tumblr.com)


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